An average audience of 5.5m, or 38% of the total audience, tuned in to the coverage between 3.30pm and 5.50pm to see the English Lions win the Calcutta Cup and beat Scotland handsomely by 42 points to 20.
Schedulers seem to have taken account of the rugby fever that was due to surround the match, fielding normal programming or film repeats against the match.
On ITV1 was western film 'Duel in the Sun', broadcast between 2.45pm and 5pm, which had an average viewing figure of 800,000 and 7% of the total audience.
On Channel 4, it was 'Deal Or No Deal', broadcast between 4.15pm and 5pm, which pulled in 627,000 or a 4.4% share of the total audience, and adventure show 'The Search' broadcast between 5pm and 6pm, which pulled in an average audience of 756,000 or a 4.1% share of total audience.
BBC Two also suffered from being trampled under foot by the rugby, as its offering of the film 'Alexander the Great', broadcast between 2.45pm and 4.55pm, drew in an average audience of 734,000 or a 6.5% share.
Five also failed to break the 1m barrier for the slot, recording an average total audience of 631,000 or 6.3% for film 'The Slipper and the Rose'.
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